The following contains spoilers for Chainsaw Man by Tatsuki Fujimoto, Amanda Haley and Sabrina Heep, available in English from Viz Media and Manga Plus.In most fictional titles, many fans tend to see themselves in certain characters. As such, they may feel some sort of attachment or connection to a specific character since they find them relatable. The plot of Chainsaw Man may be far from reality, but followers of Tatsuki Fujimoto's shonen manga can likely all relate to at least one character. And in the chaotic, messed up and absurd setting of Chainsaw Man, Higashiyama Kobeni is probably one of the most relatable characters in the entire series.
Chainsaw Man follows the story of Denji, a teenage boy dealing with a yakuza debt left by his father. Denji is killed by a Devil but turns into a human and Devil hybrid after fusing with his Devil dog Pochita. This grants him the ability to transform into a Devil with chainsaws. He is then recruited into the Public Safety Devil Hunters, a government organization similar to a police force. The series may not be suitable for fans who dislike gore; however, its dark humor is one of its best features.
At the beginning of the story, Kobeni is introduced as one of the new recruits in the Public Safety Devil Hunters' experimental squad under Makima. Right off the bat, probable first impressions from readers regarding Kobeni were that she would be an anxious, panicky and cowardly wreck. Kobeni chose to work as a Devil Hunter to help her family, although they didn't really give her a choice. She's doing this to support her siblings, especially her brother, but she dreams of eventually being able to attend college as well.
Kobeni is also a pretty iconic character among Chainsaw Man fans -- a lot of her manga panels are a favorite for many. In a way, Kobeni's reactions and facial expressions are perhaps closest to how a regular person would react given the various situations in the story. Her frantic and anxious nature is probably how most audience members would react if they came face to face with Devils. During their encounter with the Eternity Devil, Kobeni eventually started panicking since they were trapped, and she even tried drinking water from a toilet. She also panicked upon the confrontation with Reze, who was chasing Denji, and started begging for mercy in front of her.
After a series of traumatic events, Kobeni later resigned from Public Safety and began working at a restaurant called Family Burger. She continues to be her anxious self, especially when Chainsaw Man shows up and orders a hamburger. Kobeni was more or less in tears during the whole ordeal, considering the life-threatening situation she was in. Arguably, the part of the story where she was playing Dance Dance Revolution while crying is one of her best panels from the manga.
However, Kobeni's character is not limited to being a frantic mess. Himeno herself says that Kobeni is actually talented, and she's just being held back by her apprehensiveness. A notable moment for Kobeni was when she fought against the Katana Man and the Snake Devil, proving her skills -- although she returned to her distressed self mere moments later, both laughing and crying at herself and apologizing to Denji about trying to kill him.
Essentially, Kobeni's demeanor is probably how a Chainsaw Man fan would act if they were in the story. People will likely have a sense of connection to Kobeni, even if it's just for the circumstances behind her job. Whether it's working a job they don't particularly like but do anyway for the sake of family, someone who would likely freak out and cry in a life-threatening situation, or stating that the best type of alcohol is one that's paid for by someone else, in a way, all of us are somehow Kobeni.